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By Joshua Rhett Miller
Senior Reporter
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The wife of the Ford factory worker who heckled President Donald Trump is publicly backing her husband and returning the obscene gesture Trump made on Tuesday.
Meg Sabula, 36, shared her support of her husband, TJ Sabula, on Facebook late Tuesday, hours after the United Auto Workers Local 600 worker shouted at Trump during a tour of the Ford River Rouge Complex in Dearborn, Michigan.
“Hey Mr. President!” text above an illustration of the state of Michigan, with part replaced by a hand giving the middle finger, reads. “Greetings from Michigan!”
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Sabula's post garnered more than a dozen reactions and at least one reply as of midday Wednesday.
"Way to go girl ... love it!" one response read.
The Sabulas did not respond to Newsweek's repeated requests for comment early Wednesday.
TJ Sabula, 40, identified himself as the worker who shouted at Trump during Tuesday’s visit and told The Washington Post that he has been suspended from his role at the plant pending an investigation.
“As far as calling him out, definitely no regrets whatsoever,” Sabula told the newspaper.
But Sabula acknowledged being concerned about keeping his job and believes he’ll be “targeted for political retribution” for “embarrassing Trump in front of his friends,” The Washington Post reported.
Sabula, an independent, said he has not voted for Trump, but previously supported other Republicans. He was about 60 feet away from the president when he yelled “pedophile protector” in reference to Trump’s handling of the investigation into sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
“I don’t feel as though fate looks upon you often, and when it does, you better be ready to seize the opportunity,” Sabula told the Post. “And today I think I did that.”
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TJ Sabula’s Facebook page features an image of Trump extending his middle finger. Another post depicts billionaire Elon Musk holding a chainsaw above a bloody Statue of Liberty with Trump standing nearby.
“Make sure to check for a wallet,” Musk says in the caricature posted in March 2025.
Other recent posts by Sabula indicate his affiliation with the United Auto Workers labor union. He also posted a depiction of civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. with his hand over Trump's mouth in another Facebook post from June 2020.
Friends and associates of Sabula, meanwhile, have noted his newfound fame after heckling Trump, prompting the president to apparently mouth an expletive in response before raising his middle finger.
“Man, you’re all over TikTok,” one friend wrote early Wednesday. “So many news channels are reporting this and your name.”
“Not all heroes wear capes,” another reply read.
White House communications director Steven Cheung said the interaction depicted on video, first obtained by TMZ, was authentic.
"A lunatic was wildly screaming expletives in a complete fit of rage, and the president gave an appropriate and unambiguous response," Cheung told Newsweek on Tuesday.
A message seeking comment from Ford regarding Sabula's suspension was not immediately returned.
Some Republicans in Michigan denounced Sabula's actions on Wednesday, insisting the incident reflected poorly on the entire state, as well as Ford's brand.
"No individual, regardless of personal views or the setting, is above basic standards of professionalism and respect," the Oakland County Republican Party told Newsweek in a statement. "Behavior that would be unacceptable in a school or workplace should be treated the same way here. Accountability matters, and appropriate consequences should follow, just as they would for anyone else who acted inappropriately in a professional environment."
Trump "enjoys overwhelming support" among blue-collar voters due to his record of "standing up for workers" and revitalizing American manufacturing, including the automotive sector, according to Oakland County GOP officials.
"His leadership helped make American auto manufacturing more competitive and reduced our dependence on foreign countries," the statement concluded.
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